By David Dimbleby Presenter, BBC's Question Time

Eight school pupils from across the country are taking on key production roles for BBC One's Question Time this evening. Presenter David Dimbleby describes what it has been like working with them and offers advice to any schools wanting to take part in next year's Schools Question Time Challenge.

SCHOOLS QUESTION TIME Thursday 30 June, 2005 Schools QT 2005

When I first met them in May, the eight young people making the decisions about tonight's programme had no television experience.

But if, as I hope and expect, tonight's Schools Question Time is as big a success as last year's, it will be because of their special contribution.

It is enjoyable, exciting and informative to work with young people - but it is also a big challenge for those of us on the regular Question Time team.

They come with fresh ideas on how things should be done. And they are not afraid to tell you if they think you've got it wrong.

Age matters

Creative tussles are all part of the production process and one of the most heated discussions during the preparation was over the structure of the audience.

Rachel Jenkins, one of the student audience producers, said: "We half expected not to get the selection process right straight away. It was difficult when the regular Question Time team made criticisms about our first proposal!"

Rachel Jenkins, 17, is head girl at St Teilo's Church in Wales School

But, of course, programme editor Nick Pisani was not criticising them at all. He was challenging them to make their programme distinctive.

The end result: a mixture of youth and experience. Every audience member must be aged 14-25 or over 50; a strategy that intriguingly excludes their parents' generation.

Will that produce a clash of the generations or some meeting of minds? We'll have to see but I expect it will be lively.

They have also brought two new young faces onto tonight's programme, the youth TV presenter June Sarpong and pro-hunt demonstrator, Otis Ferry.

The aim of the Schools Question Time Challenge is to introduce students to the excitement of democratic debate, to let them acquire some of the skills and the tolerance required to argue a case and listen to those whose views are vehemently opposed to that case.

Winning is everything of course but for the successful team producing tonight's Question Time as well as all the other schools taking part through the year, the process of competing is also part of the enjoyment.

School events

Each school is asked to prepare an outline of how they would go about making their own version of Question Time. Enter next year's challenge

Each school is asked to prepare an outline of how they would go about making their own version of Question Time.

This involves thinking carefully about concepts of political balance, stimulating debate, the nature of effective communication of complex ideas.

The best are selected to receive a small grant to allow them to mount a live Question Time event at their school.

This is not recorded by the BBC, though many schools make their own video of the event. But judges come to each event and decide whose effort is best.

From those winning schools a team of students is put together to make the on-air edition of Question Time which goes out near the end of our run in the summer, live on BBC One.

It may seem easy - but in reality a good deal of careful thought and planning goes into a successful bid. I urge all schools who are thinking of participating to get started, if possible with a few rough thoughts before the start of the summer holidays and certainly at the very start of next term.

It will help to watch some back editions of Question Time and when planning to keep as far as possible to a realistic agenda.

For instance, better not just talk vaguely about the perfect question or debate. Rather take the news of the current week and ask how you would handle the main topics that are dominating the news - whether national politics, social issues or international concerns.

Then watch that week's Question Time and see how we handled them - compare the real programme with what you were offering - and don't assume we got it right.

Argue out the difference between what you were proposing and what you saw on screen. How could you apply the same principles to a big local issue ?

Chairman's role

You must have a chairman who is above all confident enough to stop speakers when they have outstayed their welcome

One last tip. (I would say this wouldn't I ?) The success of the programme depends on effective chairmanship.

You can have a lively audience and a combative panel but unless the debate can be properly marshalled, everyone given their turn, no one allowed to go on too long, and all the key arguments pursued and explored, it will not work.

You must have a chairman who is above all confident enough to stop speakers when they have outstayed their welcome or are speaking off the point - and this applies to both audience and panel.

And it should all be done with good humour. "That is not what the questioner is asking" is always a good way to force speakers back to the point at issue, because answering the question is what it's all about. Good Luck!

The Schools Question Time programme for 2005 will be broadcast on Thursday, 30 June, at 2235 BST on BBC One.